


A Summer's Promise

by Rikkichi



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: 'deadlock and shimada clan buddy up' AU, Alternate Universe, Kid Fic, M/M, Young Hanzo Shimada, Young Jesse McCree
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-07-02 14:25:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,254
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15798384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rikkichi/pseuds/Rikkichi
Summary: Hanzo was there, kneeling down by the water, and he had some kind of bread with him. Hanzo was tearing off small pieces of the bread and tossing it to the water, letting the fish swallow the bites whole. During all of this, Hanzo had a smile on his face. A smile that Jesse had never seen before, but that he definitely liked. It looked way better than the scowls Hanzo had been wearing a few days prior when they had met for the first time."Hey there," Jesse said, grinning as he waved to Hanzo.Upon hearing a voice, Hanzo looked up very quickly, acting like a child that had been caught in the cookie jar. As soon as he saw Jesse, though, the other boy scowled and moved to stand up. That was when Jesse realized he had disturbed some sort of private moment, and he felt a pang of guilt. Hanzo had been enjoying himself, so why was having someone else here a problem?(Written for the 2018 McHanzo Reverse Bang)





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is! This is our collaberation for the McHanzo Reverse Bang! 
> 
> Author: Rikkichi
> 
> Artist: [Candycornskull](http://candycornskull.tumblr.com/) over on tumblr
> 
> Here are HTML links to all the images as well:
> 
> Image 1: https://i.imgur.com/8srP0vP.png  
> Image 2: https://i.imgur.com/c7PkiV8.png  
> Image 3: https://i.imgur.com/1f54Wy9.png

The large wooden gates stood tall and imposing, a stark contrast to the modern city that had built up around it. It was a divide between past and present, one that even a small child like Jesse could pick up on instantly, despite his lack of familiarity with Japanese aesthetics. The city was New, and the castle was Old. It brought to mind the experience of stepping onto a movie set, where the commodities of today have been pushed aside to set a scene and tell a story. Except this wasn't a movie set, this was real life, and real people lived in this place.

Jesse McCree, son of William 'Bill' McCree, was only there as a part of his father's business trip. He didn't know much about it all, and he wasn't really expected to follow along with finance details or anything like that. He was only eight, and years away from any serious training to lead Deadlock. But the man his father was here to met apparently had two sons close to Jesse's age, which was why Jesse had been brought along. Let the fathers talk business, and let the sons build a friendship. 

Or something like that. Jesse only cared about the fact that there were going to be kids to play with. There weren't exactly any other children within Deadlock to play with, and the kids at school knew about his family's reputation and generally avoided him. Having someone to play with who wasn't an adult was well worth the boring plane flight and jetlag.

As they stepped inside, the noise of the cars and people seemed to fade away, leaving behind a peaceful quiet that Jesse had only ever heard out in the countryside back home in America. The walls with their faded white paint seemed to be good at keeping the noise out. From the main gates, Jesse could see a big open building with a humongous bell in it. That thing must echo through the whole place with how quiet it was there. That must have been on purpose, he reasoned. Maybe the bell was for waking people up in the morning?

From the gate, the pair were escorted to a small building near the gate. There they traded their boots for strange sandals that looked like they were made out of straw or something. Jesse gazed forlornly at his awesome cowboy boots as he left them on the little shoe cubby shelf. He had a feeling he wouldn't be wearing them for some time.

Next Jesse and his father listened to an explanation from one of the servants at the castle. Something about when to wear the sandals and when to go barefoot, how it's disrespectful to wear them inside, or something like that. Jesse paid no mind to it really. It wasn't that hard to figure out anyway: porches and the inside of buildings were 'inside' and you didn't wear shoes, and everything else was 'outside' and could be with shoes. See, even a kid could figure it out! Though Jesse would probably have to be reminded a few times, since he tended to forget stuff like that easily.

The sandals weren't too hard to use, they were just different, and it took a bit of getting used to. His footsteps were quieter, and Jesse grinned as he padded around the shoe area, trying to make noise but finding it muffled. His father noticed it too, and he threw Jesse a Look that got the boy to stop and stand up straight.

They were led through a room, and then through a courtyard, and then through a second courtyard before they ended up at a large, towering building. The main building, maybe, and Jesse found himself staring up at it in wonder. He had seen taller buildings before, sure, but this one was so _old_. Well-maintained, sure, there was a fresh coat of paint on the exposed wood and the flooring was kept polished. But here and there, Jesse could see the signs of age. Wood that was dry and had started shrinking. Walkways that creaked when stepped on, even after the sandals had been removed and they walked on sock-covered feet. Places here and there where newer wood planks mingled with the old, a sign of necessary repairs as the building aged. The contrasting colors made for an interesting, if chaotic, pattern, and Jesse found himself watching it as they walked into the large building.

The floor inside was different, being made of some kind of woven straw rather than wood. It was arranged in rectangular tiles which seemed to make a pattern, maybe. Jesse was tempted to crouch down and touch it with his hands, but his father and their escort moved further in and he had to hurry to keep up.

Across a bridge, and into the main room they went. Here there was a large tapestry on the wall, a work of art that Jesse found mesmerizing. It was of two dragons, one green and one blue, and they wove their way around each other. A fight, maybe? But it looked cool regardless.

Abruptly their escort bowed deeply, after announcing Jesse and his father. Jesse didn't hear the full introduction- his attention had wandered again- but he snapped back to the conversation in time to hear 'Shimada.' That was the name of the clan they were visiting, he remembered that much. 

Jesse studied the man in front of himself and his father carefully. He was old enough to have grey flecks in his beard, but not so old that he looked like a grandpa. No, if Jesse had to guess, this man was probably around his father's age. But unlike his father, this man looked as stiff and rigid as the old people Jesse had seen before. He gave off a very distinct 'I am the boss and everyone will listen to me' vibe, one that rivalled even his father's temperament. Put those two in a private room and you might get some interesting results.

They probably would meet in private sooner or later, Jesse realized. This was a business trip, after all, and the grown-ups had to talk and sort out their business. Stuff Jesse didn't care much about and thus didn't pay much mind to. But Jesse remembered the promise of kids his age, and he glanced around, looking to see if those kids had followed this 'Shimada' in.

He didn't have to look far, as both boys were just behind their father. They both wore fancy clothes that looked like a dress or a robe, just like their father. But where their father wore a pattern of black, grey, and white, the boys each wore rather vibrant colors. The older boy, the one who looked to be about Jesse's age, wore a 'robe' consisting of several shades of dark and light blue, arranged to look like waves at sea. The younger boy- who looked to be two or three years younger than Jesse- wore a bright green design. Both were standing tall, just like their father, though the younger one in green looked a little bored.

Then the adults were talking again. Jesse could hear them, and he kind of understood what they were saying. Some kind of long-winded greeting. Something about honor and privilege and how nice it was to visit such a beautiful place. Jesse was absolutely not interested in listening to any of that, though. No, he was watching the two boys to see if they did anything interesting. So far the older boy seemed to just be standing there and looking forward, though he wasn't watching Jesse at all. Was he zoning out? Maybe. Jesse watched him for a long time to see if he was maybe a statue, but eventually the older boy blinked so Jesse figured he was just really patient.

Then the younger brother leaned over and said something to the older brother in a language Jesse could not understand, and in turn the older brother just scowled at him.

"Jesse."

Jesse looked up to his father, who had just called out to him. The older McCree indicated to the trio in front of them as he said, "This here is Mister Shimada, and his two sons are Hanzo and Genji."

Jesse glanced over once more, and he saw the younger boy look over when his name was spoken. Jesse raised a hand to give a little wave, and Genji smiled widely as he waved back. The older one, Hanzo, remained stony-faced. But Jesse took the wave by the younger one to be encouraging, and he spoke up, saying, "Howdy!"

Genji tilted his head to the side curiously, and he tried repeating Jesse. "How-dee?"

Jesse nodded, and he said, "Wanna play a game?"

That time Genji didn't respond though, and instead looked to Hanzo. With a sigh, Hanzo quietly said something in Japanese, which made Genji's face light up. He nodded to Jesse, and he looked ready to jump right over to play, but Hanzo gently grabbed for the sleeve of Genji's clothes and said something else in Japanese. That time, the younger boy stopped and looked to their father as he spoke as well.

The whole exchange didn't quite make sense to Jesse, who couldn't understand the words being said. But it got a chuckle out of the older Shimada, their father, who in turn spoke in English to the whole group. "Youth is so carefree, isn't it? Perhaps we should let our boys retire from the conversation and get to know each other better."

Jesse looked up to his own father, who had been pretty business-faced before. But that comment got a small smile out of him, and he glanced down to pat Jesse on the head before speaking to Mr. Shimada. "Yeah, you're right there. Best let the boys sort out their own alliances."

Both men chuckled at that comment, though Jesse didn't understand it. But he didn't think about it much beyond that, because Genji was coming over and tugging on Jesse's arm to drag him along to one of the courtyards nearby. Jesse smiled widely as he followed after Genji, but at the last moment before he left the room he realized that it was just the two of them. He paused and glanced back, and he saw Hanzo still standing by his father. Jesse opened his mouth to speak, but Hanzo just frowned at Jesse and shook his head 'no.' Stunned, Jesse let his mouth drop to a close again.

Hanzo was a real stick in the mud, he decided.


	2. Chapter 2

Time passed, and the once-novel open areas of the castle grounds were quickly becoming dull. Sure, it was beautiful there, but there were only so many times he could walk around the big sand-garden or check out that huge bell before it got boring. And while there were a lot of halls and rooms Jesse had yet to see, those areas were off limits to him. 

It sucked. Jesse had been promised playmates, and said playmates were nowhere to be found.

There was an explanation for it, of course. Both of them were school-aged, and school in Japan went into the summer far longer than school in America did. The first day of their arrival had been a fluke, since the boys had taken time off from school to be there to greet the McCrees. So while Jesse had ended school about a week before boarding a plane for Japan, both Hanzo and Genji still had classes to attend for at least another week yet. This had been explained to Jesse, who did remember it, but he still chose to complain to himself anyway.

However, in his need to find something to do, Jesse had forgotten a key detail: it was Sunday. The one day a week where Hanzo and Genji didn't have to go to school. Which meant that, when Jesse started to poke around at the garden area that contained the large pond full of fish, he would quickly find that he wasn't the only one there.

Jesse didn't notice the other boy at first. He was too busy squatting down by the water's edge, watching the fish swim. They were so bright and colorful, Jesse just wanted to reach out and touch them. He didn't, of course, because his dad had told him to stay out of the koi pond. But he still watched them in wonder, wishing that they had fish like that back home. Or a pond for fish, really. His home state was mostly desert, which meant that nobody really had ponds for decorations. This was entirely new to him, and he was really enjoying watching the fish swim.

Just as Jesse was thinking that, the fish abruptly changed course, swimming away from Jesse. He frowned, and he thought to himself that the fish shouldn't have been swimming away, he hadn't even gone splashing into the pond or anything. But as his eyesight followed the fish across the pond, he eventually found the source of the fish-stealing. Hanzo was there, kneeling down by the water, and he had some kind of food with him. It looked kind of like bread, actually, but it didn't look like the white bread he was used to back home. Hanzo was tearing off small pieces of the bread and tossing it to the water, letting the fish swallow the bites whole. During all of this, Hanzo had a smile on his face. A smile that Jesse had never seen before, but that he definitely liked. It looked way better than the scowls Hanzo had been wearing a few days prior when they had met for the first time.

"Hey there," Jesse said, grinning as he waved to Hanzo. He might as well say his greetings and see if Hanzo wanted to play, or to at least feed the fish together.

Upon hearing a voice, Hanzo looked up very quickly, acting like a child that had been caught in the cookie jar. As soon as he saw Jesse, though, the other boy scowled and moved to stand up. That was when Jesse realized he had disturbed some sort of private moment, and he felt a pang of guilt. Hanzo had been enjoying himself, so why was having someone else here a problem? Two people could have more fun than one.

So Jesse started circling the pond, hurrying to get over to Hanzo's side, as he said, "Hey, wait up!"

By the time Jesse got to Hanzo's side, Hanzo was standing fully and had tossed the remaining bread into the pond. He looked as stony-faced as he had that first day, with all traces of that former joy gone. "What is it," he asked, speaking politely but without an ounce of friendliness to his tone.

"There's no need to be all grumpy 'n' stuff, I was just sayin' hi," Jesse said, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. This sucked. He felt like a kid getting scolded by an adult, and the one doing the scolding was barely older than he was!

Hanzo didn't respond right away, because he was busy frowning and squinting a bit at Jesse. "Grumpy and…" That was said quietly, so quietly that Jesse almost missed it, but before he could ask Hanzo just shook his head. "Very well. 'Hello.' And since I will leave now, 'goodbye'."

With that, Hanzo turned and started to walk away. In his mind, Jesse began to panic. What was with this kid? Had Jesse broken a rule and now Hanzo was going to tattle on him? Jesse didn't want to get in trouble, not when he was supposed to be on his best behavior. So he followed after Hanzo has he called out to him, saying, "Hey, wait!"

Hanzo did not stop walking until Jesse reached out to grab the sleeve of his clothes. As soon as he did, Hanzo immediately reeled on him, yanking his arm away from Jesse. He snapped at Jesse, saying something in Japanese that Jesse did not understand. Jesse didn't need to know the words though, because the tone and body language were enough for him to understand. Hanzo didn't like being touched, and Jesse had just touched him.

Jesse shoved his hands in his pockets, partially out of annoyance and partially to show Hanzo that he wasn't going to touch him again. "C'mon, I just wanna play! There's like, nothing to do here!"

Once again Hanzo paused, that frown and squint returning. But ultimately Hanzo said, "No," before he started to walk away again. And this time, Jesse let him walk.

Once Hanzo was out of sight, he kicked a rock into the pond, which startled the fish and sent them swimming away. A moment later he realized just what he had done- both by chasing away Hanzo and by wrecking the pond's beauty by scaring away the fish, and his irritation crumbled away to sadness. He sat down by the water's edge let the tears fall freely, not even bothering to cover up his feelings.

This place sucked. It was way lonelier than the deserts.


	3. Chapter 3

Watching Hanzo shoot was therapeutic, in a way. 

Back home training was always loud, and not just because of all the guns going off. 'Training' was basically an excuse to goad each other into shooting cans off of increasingly difficult-to-hit targets while shotgunning more beers (or, in Jesse's case, soda) to have more targets to use later. Each successful hit was met with cheers and shouts, which were then followed by declarations of 'I bet you can't hit THIS!' Training was actually just showing off, which was something Jesse was pretty good at, despite his young age. It wasn't really about improvement or practice.

With Hanzo, though, training absolutely was about getting better. Jesse could see it in slow, precise movements. Nock the arrow. Pull the string back. Focus. Breathe. Release. And then a moment later, the arrow thunks into the very center of the target. Then he moves on to the next target and repeats the whole process. No goading, no cheering. Just the ambient sound of metal striking wood.

The first time Jesse had seen it, he had gone right into his usual routine. Loudly cheer for Hanzo, and then try to get him to do some stupid challenge. That had just earned him a glare and removal from the practice range. It had taken three days for Jesse to convince Hanzo to let him come back and watch, so now he just sat in silence. 'Sit still' and 'be quiet' were two words Jesse McCree only had a passing familiarity with, so the fact that he had made it through three practices now without interrupting was a miracle. It had certainly impressed his father.

But really, it was easy to fall into that quiet patience. This whole place was peaceful. For how large the grounds were and how many people lives in the castle, it was surprisingly quiet pretty much all the time. It was the kind of quiet that subtly encouraged someone to conform to it, as even the thought of disturbing it came with a sense of anxiety. And while the quiet had been unnerving a first, Jesse now found himself enjoying it. Not getting woken up in the middle of the night due to drunken brawls or parties of some sort made Jesse a lot less crabbier in general, and it made it so much easier for him to just focus. Jesse had no idea how much a lack of sleep had been affecting him until he finally got a good 8 hours of sleep on a regular basis.

Jesse watched another arrow thunk into place, right at the center of the target. That was the last target in the row, which meant a pause to retrieve the arrows and set up for another round of shots. This lull in practice was the only time Jesse really talked, because it wouldn't interrupt Hanzo's focus and drive the boy to kick Jesse out again. "You've shot these things like a million times by now, and I don't think I've seen you miss once."

Hanzo, who had just set his bow on a nearby rack, eyed Jesse curiously. "Of course not," he said, "The point of practice is to make the action of firing a bow second-nature. It is the same for any of my training."

That's right, Jesse remembered, Hanzo didn't just have bow training. There was sword training the in afternoon, and there was probably other stuff on top of that which Jesse hadn't seen yet. Hanzo's days were usually really busy, and the boys didn't get much of a chance to do anything until well after dinner, and rarely did Hanzo choose to do anything other than feed the fish or some equally quiet and dull task. That was why Jesse had taken to watching the archery practice in the first place. Hanzo was boring sometimes, but he had some interesting moments too, and any chance to spend time with him when he wasn't being boring was welcome.

Jesse did wish they could just play actual games sometimes, though. Hide and seek in this huge castle would be amazing.

"You ever do some crazy shooting just for fun," Jesse asked.

At that point, Hanzo was down by the first target, pulling out his arrow. "Sometimes," he said, and he inspected the arrow head as he continued with that thought, "That would not be practice, that would be showing off. 'For fun', as you said."

"Wanna show off now?" The question was an honest one. Jesse did want to see what Hanzo could do, and a little show might be the way to do it.

Hanzo looked up from his work to meet Jesse's stare. He was frowning as he said, "Why? Are you trying to gauge my strength?"

"I think I already got an idea of your strength," Jesse said, nodding to the row of dead-center hits, "But that's kiddie stuff. I wanna see what you can REALLY do."

That frown on Hanzo's face deepened. "You just want to distract me from my practice." And with that, he moved on to the next target, pulling out the arrow in one swift motion.

"Oh come on," Jesse pleaded, pushing himself to his feet. He didn't have his shoes out here, so he just stepped down into the practice area barefoot, "I'll shoot too! That way you're not doing it alone."

"No," Hanzo said firmly, not even taking the time to look up to Jesse, "It is time for practice, and you are a distraction. Please leave."

Jesse stopped mid-step, and instantly he was disappointed. Had he gone too far? He didn't actually know Hanzo that well, and maybe he was doing this 'friendship' thing wrong. It wasn't like Jesse had many kids to make friends with back home. 

'Be nice,' his father had told him. Be nice and make friends, not enemies. But being nice had done jack-all, and Jesse was getting frustrated. And when Jesse got frustrated, he fell into his old routines.

"I betcha I'll shoot better than you," Jesse said, grinning cheekily.

_That_ got Hanzo to stop. His hand was on an arrow embedded in a target, but he made no effort to pull it out. For a moment he just stood there, like he was processing the challenge Jesse just issued. It made Jesse a little nervous, and for a moment he was afraid that he had made Hanzo mad. 

But then Hanzo finally turned his head to look at Jesse, and Jesse could see a fire burning in Hanzo's eyes. It wasn't anger, nor was it rage. It was something else entirely, something that made Jesse's heart jump in excitement. It was a look he would eventually become very familiar with, and one he would come to be very fond of. But for now, seeing that look of pride and determination left him momentarily speechless.

"Name your target," Hanzo said defiantly.

\---

Bill McCree had expected these talks to take a long time. He had been warned about it when he had first made the decision to try and form a partnership with a particularly powerful family in Japan. Sojiro Shimada was nothing if not patient, and he could outwait his opponents until favorable situations arose. So Bill knew this whole trip was going to be a waiting game as they both circled each other, trying to get the other to cave first.

Unfortunately for Sojiro, Bill was also a patient man. Most of Deadlock was full of hotheads, but Bill could keep his temper under control and get things done. That's why he had risen to the top to begin with. Nobody else had the patience to make deals. Bill was fair, if tough on his men, and he was just as tough on himself. So while the peace and quiet of this castle bored him to no end, and these talks took days to get through what he normally covered in hours, he could keep that irritation and itch to move under control.

Once again, the two of them had met for a working lunch, sipping tea and eating foods Bill couldn't even name as they went through trade deals once more. They both spoke calmly, but there was a definite tension in the air. Trade deals were often where someone buckled, and Bill had to stay focused and make sure he didn't miss something important. It was hard to do on an empty stomach, and even harder to do while eating foods this foreign to him. This place didn't even have a bottle of ketchup to help the food go down. A damn shame, he said to himself.

"These percentages would be a fair balance," Sojiro stated, going through the numbers once more, "the higher cost is placed on the one receiving, to help offset the cost of the one running the ships."

It was sound logic, Bill reasoned. Help split the cost by easing the fees on the ships passing through. On the surface it looked good. But Bill knew that the Shimada clan would be the one running the ships most of the time, as Deadlock was primarily land-based. So Deadlock would be paying out the nose most of the time, and it would count as a 'win' for the Shimada clan. Concessions would have to be made eventually, but Bill didn't want to make them in week 2 of this trip. He had to stretch it out a bit, if only to make himself look more respectable.

"It's not a bad idea, but the percentages need a bit of work," Bill said, carefully dancing around the deal while not outright telling Sojiro his plan was bullshit, "Something more like-"

Bill's thoughts were interrupted by a loud gonging noise. Bill raised an eyebrow at Sojiro in a silent question but was met with an equally-confused look.

A second later, a bullet tore through the rice paper wall and shattered a drinking cup on their table, spilling tea all over the papers.

Both men stared at the mess of tea and ceramic shards on the table. Then, slowly, they both turned to look at the wall.

Through the hole in the rice paper, they could both see Jesse and Hanzo standing there, not too far from the large bell in the courtyard. Jesse had his gun in one hand and his mouth covered by the other, while Hanzo was standing there staring wide-eyed at the now-damaged wall.

Sojiro was the one who broke the silence with a quiet chuckle. "It seems our boys are troublemakers," he said fondly.

The sharp tension in the room immediately drained out, and Bill let out a sigh. "Damn kids," he muttered under his breath, which got another chuckle from Sojiro.

\---

Repairs were made, and papers were reprinted. The incident went without much mention. It was an accident, after all, and it wouldn't do to punish the boys for an accident. They both received a gentle reminder to be more careful, and it was left at that. The incident itself was a far more effective learning tool than any punishment would be, after all.

Two things happened as a result of that night, though. Firstly, Hanzo and Jesse had an attendant with them any time they were out practicing their aim. Said attendant didn't speak up most of the time, but just silently watched and occasionally discouraged ideas that would result in property damage.

Additionally, there was one square of the rice paper walls of the meeting rooms that was suddenly a slightly different color. While nobody would speak of what had happened, somehow everybody knew.


	4. Chapter 4

It was interesting how quickly friendships could grow between boys, especially boys who had found a common ground with a gentle scolding for a bit of tomfoolery. Somehow the incident with the bell and the bullet and brought them closer, and they spent far more time together. Jesse's quickly-growing patience, as well as Hanzo's quickly-growing interest in actually doing kid stuff like playing, helped both find a way to compromise with the other. Jesse could sit still and watch whole Hanzo practiced, and Hanzo could finally decide when enough practice was enough and that a break was needed. 

Jesse hadn't expected the exchange to be two-sided like that, but somehow that worked out for the better. It wasn't just one of them teaching the other to be a better person, it was both of them helping each other grow. That made for a good foundation for friendship.

Genji's presence did help too. Hanzo didn't like most things, but he was very fond of his little brother. The fact that Genji had latched onto Jesse right away definitely helped Jesse win favor with Hanzo.

For weeks, the three of them fell into a routine. First they ate breakfast together, and then Genji and Hanzo disappeared for their morning lessons. Jesse usually took this time to explore on his own and find interesting stuff to mess with. Then came lunch, and afterwards the two Shimada boys started their more physical training. This is where Jesse joined them, either watching what they did or jumping in to participate as well. He wasn't as skilled as either of them of course, but he was picking up things quickly. Already he could climb short walls like Genji could, and he was sure that it wouldn't be long before he was doing flip-jumps or whatever else ninjas did. Hanzo was always a step ahead of him though, his years of practice outclassing Jesse's ability to pick up new skills quickly. 

After that was dinner, and then the boys usually had an hour or two to play before bedtime. Sometimes the adults joined them at night, usually sitting on a porch and smoking while they watched the boys play. Hanzo was still very serious and preferred board games, especially this chess-like one that was way too complicated for Jesse to even try to learn. They usually just flipped the pieces over and played checkers, a game Hanzo had learned quickly after Jesse had taught them. He had also learned to kick Jesse's ass at the game really quickly, much to Jesse's frustration.

Jesse did notice some changes in the evenings, though. Firstly, despite the boy's usual seriousness, Hanzo was beginning to smile a bit more. He was opening up and becoming just a tiny bit friendlier. To the untrained eye he probably still looked serious, but Jesse could see that Hanzo was changing. Jesse liked to think that it was his influence that had caused the change.

Secondly, the adults were loosening up a bit too. On the evenings that they joined the boys, the two patriarchs usually looked relaxed. Maybe happy, even, which was a big change for Jesse's dad. He smiled for Jesse, sure, but Jesse knew that his dad had grown more serious ever since his mom had died. He missed mom, that had to be it. And while Jesse was glad to see that Dad hadn't forgotten Mom, he was also glad to see that he was smiling more now. Maybe he had made a friend on this trip too.

It was nice, and Jesse hoped it could stay like this for some time yet. They still had plenty of summer left.

\---

One day, after everyone had finished lunch, Mr. Shimada called for attention. "There is a festival tonight, and we are going to go to it. Lessons and negotiations are cancelled for the afternoon so everyone can rest and be ready to stay up late."

A festival, huh? Jesse looked to Hanzo when he heard that, and was surprised to see that Hanzo actually looked excited. This 'festival' must have been something special, for it to make even Hanzo open up. 

After lunch Jesse had gone and asked Hanzo about it, who had explained that it was a festival to celebrate something called 'tanabata', and that they would all dress up in 'yukatas' and go to a nearby shrine for the festivities. Genji also ran his mouth at a mile a minute, though Hanzo had to translate for him since the younger boy was speaking in Japanese the whole time. Apparently 'hanging wishes' and 'goldfish catching' were a part of this festival.

They all went off to rest, though Jesse found it hard to sleep with all of the excitement buzzing in the air. He ended up just laying in bed the whole time, staring at the ceiling and wondering just what fun was waiting for him. 

As evening fell, Jesse was called to change into his yukata. Fortunately Mr. Shimada had thought to have an attendant stay with him and help him get dressed, since there's no way he would have figured it out on his own. Before too long, Jesse was dressed in a dark red and yellow yukata, and he found himself readily approving of the design picked out for him. Somebody knew his favorite color, it seemed. And while the attendant had tried to dissuade him from wearing his cowboy hat, somehow Jesse had managed to smuggle it out and plop it on just before they arrived at the shrine.

Hanzo was wearing clothes just like Jesse's, though his were in dark and light blues and had a blocky spiral pattern on them instead of the dots Jesse's had. Genji was dressed a bit differently, as his clothes were a dark green shirt with light green pants. A 'jinbei', Hanzo had told him. Clothes that babies and toddlers wore, mostly. This was to be Genji's last year in them, and next year he would get a proper yukata. But Genji didn't seem to mind either way, and he made great use of the freedom those pants offered him. Jesse had to admit that he was a bit jealous, moving around in a Yukata was difficult. He was worried about stepping wrong and showing off his undies to people on accident, something that would be too embarrassing to handle. That must be why Janzo always walked with deliberate steps, Jesse reasoned. He was just trying to keep from looking silly!

Jesse tried to copy Hanzo's walking pattern, but he found it difficult to do so. Similarly, Hanzo seemed to notice that Jesse was trying to copy him, and he deliberately started walking quickly. "That's not fair," Jesse whined as he tried to keep up, and Genji chased after the two of them while laughing.

Behind the three of them, their fathers- also clad in yukatas- walked slowly. Bill McCree watched the boys to make sure they stayed safe, while Sojiro Shimada kept an eye on the people, making sure they stayed in line.

The festival grounds were amazing to see in person. It was dark, and the path was lit by hanging strings of lanterns. Stalls full of different goodies lined the path, and Genji pointed to some here and there while chattering excitedly. "He says he wants a 'sentai' mask," Hanzo said, helpfully translating for Jesse's sake, "And that we should eat some taiyaki."

"Didn't we just eat some dinner," Jesse asked.

"Taiyaki is a dessert," Hanzo answered, and he pointed to a nearby stall. A group of people had just gotten some weird fish-looking pastry-things, and while it did smell good, it didn't smell sweet like a donut or anything. Jesse doubted that they were a dessert item.

Jesse was immediately proven wrong, and he ate his little fish cake quickly. 

Next they had to stop by one of the stalls, one that sold masks of several different types. There were lots of various monster-faces, but Genji was drawn to these little round ones that looked like superhero faces. Those must have been the 'sentai' masks Hanzo had mentioned. Genji quickly picked out a green one, and he handed a blue one to Hanzo, who took it with little resistance. Then Genji looked to Jesse and said, "Color?"

"Red's my favorite," Jesse answered, and Genji nodded before turning back to the stall. Unfortunately, there were no red sentai masks and instead there was a 'sold out' sign where a pile of masks could have gone. Genji looked immediately disappointed, and he might have even started to cry right then and there if Hanzo hadn't thought up a quick solution.

"Here," Hanzo said as he handed Jesse a yellow mask instead, "You can be the gold one instead."

"Well, gold always looks good with red," Jesse admitted, and he took the mask. This seemed to satisfy Genji, who nodded in agreement and said something about a 'team'. As the adults paid, Genji held up both his hands in little fists to celebrate their newfound team. Hanzo and Jesse both smiled as they each raised a hand to cheer with Genji too.

Genji said something in Japanese, which made Hanzo smile just a bit more. Seeing Jesse's confused look, Hanzo said, "He said we can be on the same team and save the festival now."

A team, huh? Jesse liked the sound of that. "Well I reckon that's a good idea," he said, and he indicated to one of the other event stalls. "Why don't we go 'rescue' some prizes?"

It took an hour, but after some careful goldfish-catching, some frustrating attempts at a ring toss, and a liberal use of Jesse's 'super good eyesight' (which earned a scolding from his father), the three boys ended up with tons of goodies to take home. Genji was pouting a little, since he had done the worst at the ring toss, but a quick reminder from Hanzo that they were a team was enough to cheer him up. Then the three were running off again, ready to tackle the next challenge.

The adults had to stop them that time, though, as they were having trouble carrying all of the stuff the boys had won. The mere thought of getting even more prizes was a painful one. "Don't get too excited," Jesse's dad said with a chuckle, "There's still the fireworks to watch. You don't wanna go fallin' asleep before then."

"Fireworks?!" Jesse sounded instantly excited to hear that. Fireworks he knew all about, since he saw them every 4th of July back home in America. He had been disappointed to miss them this year, but hearing that there would be fireworks tonight brought back the excitement that could only be tamed by watching things catch on fire and explode.

Mr. Shimada indicated to a hill near the end of the path they were on, and he said, "Yes. If we go over there, we should get a good view."

"Let's go then!" Jesse quickly grabbed Hanzo's hand, which startled the other boy. But Jesse paid not mind to that and pushed forward, dragging Hanzo along with him. Hanzo's protests of 'I can walk myself' were lost to the crowd and the laughter that came from the two fathers.

By the time the fireworks started, Jesse was starting to get a little tired. He had thought he could handle staying up late, but the lack of a nap was really starting to affect him. He couldn't even keep his bag of goldfish up right, and his father ended up carrying the fish instead. Hanzo didn't look outwardly tired, but his steps were slowing down a bit. Genji, however, was still running around like a maniac, still playing 'heroes' like all three of them had earlier in the night.

Their fathers guided the three of them up to a nearby hill, the perfect place for viewing the night sky. But as they sat down, Jesse quickly realized it wasn't the stars they would be watching. Within moments, the sky lit up red with the first exploding firework. "Woah," he said, and his attention instantly shot upward. 

Bright lights in blue and green and yellow and white, and even more red flashed across the sky. Some of the younger kids at the festival were scared by the loud noise, but now Jesse. He was entranced by the colors, and a look of absolute delight stayed on his face through it all.

At one point Jesse looked over to Hanzo and said, "This is awesome!"

In that moment, Hanzo's face was lit up with excitement. A rare break from the usual somber look he had. He nodded in agreement, and pointed upwards as another firework exploded right over them.

Even when the fireworks ended, the boys couldn't stop chatting about how awesome they had been. Neither of them noticed just how close they had been sitting to each other through it all.


	5. Chapter 5

It was the cusp of the end of summer, where the nights get cooler and the leaves start to drop off the trees. Most plants were still green, but streaks of yellow and orange were starting to make their way across the leaves. Everybody started to close windows at night, and they started to cook warmer foods again.

Just as the summer came to an end, so did the McCree family business trip to Japan.

Jesse knew it was coming. Talks of 'departure times' and 'travel expenses' were already being passed around, and he knew that the trip itself would be coming soon. He had always known this would end eventually, but he didn't want to go. Not yet. Not when he had just started to get attached to his new friends.

Jesse's dad noticed the change in Jesse too, and he tried to console the boy. "You can still be friends with the boys here, even if we live far away from 'em," he said, "We can write and send photos, and I bet we can come back to visit someday."

But nothing seemed to help Jesse. He was in a mood, and that mood left him hiding up on top of the shrine, far away from everyone's prying eyes. He was resting his head on his knees, sobbing quietly into the fabric of his shorts. He didn't want to go back to America. He didn't want to leave Hanzo and Genji behind.

Jesse missed the sound of someone climbing up to the roof until they were sitting next to him. When he felt their hand on his shoulder, Jesse looked up suddenly, eyes wide and red from crying. It was Hanzo, who had a concerned look on his face. It was interesting to see new emotions there, but that wasn't an emotion Jesse had wanted to see.

"What is wrong," Hanzo asked.

"I don't wanna go," Jesse admitted, sniffing as he wiped at his nose with the back of his hand, "I'm gonna miss you like daisies miss the sun. It ain't fair!"

Hanzo paused there, and he frowned in concentration once more. "I…do not want you to go," he admitted after some time, his gaze rising to meet Jesse's. "You are my friend, and I wish you could stay."

"I do too, but Dad said I gotta go back to New Mexico." Jesse didn't have the right kind of visa to stay in the country long-term, and Dad McCree couldn't leave the boy here alone anyway. They would have to leave, and possibly come back for visits later. Visits that would be too few and far between, Jesse realized bitterly.

"And I have to remain here," Hanzo admitted. 

"I know, I know. We both got places we gotta be. But it still ain't fair, y'know," Jesse said as he rubbed at his eyes again, "I don't wanna say goodbye."

"This doesn't have to be 'goodbye'. You can come back another summer and stay. And when I get married, you can come for the wedding too." The last part sounded a bit shakier than the rest, like Hanzo wasn't sure of himself, but he still made that offer for his new friend.

The offer was confusing, though, and it made Jesse raise an eyebrow. "You're gettin' married? Why>"

Hanzo, for his part, looked a little flustered at being called out like that. "I have to get married," he said, "I will inherit the clan, so I need to have children of my own to lead the clan after me."

Now it was Jesse's turn to get flustered. Why did Hanzo have to get married? It sounded like he didn't even have anyone in mind that he wanted to marry, just that hid dad told him to so he would do it. "Who're you marrying," he asked.

"Nobody yet," Hanzo admitted, "But I have to get married eventually."

"And whoever you marry, they get to live here with you, right?" Jesse was sitting up now, intently focused on a specific detail.

Hanzo seemed to have clued in to that focus, because he gave Jesse a look and said, "Where are you going with this?"

Suddenly, Jesse turned his body and grabbed for both of Hanzo's hands. Hanzo gasped, but he let his hands get dragged closer to Jesse. Jesse didn't seem too bothered by it though, and he just grinned at Hanzo. He had the look of a kid who thought they had a brilliant plan.

"Let's get married," he said suddenly.

Hanzo was taken aback by the suggestion. "I…what?"

"Married," Jesse said impatiently, "I mean, not right now, I'm gonna leave soon. But later, when I come back!"

"Married- Jesse, we cannot get married." 

"Why not," Jesse asked.

The answer and subsequent question seemed to embarrass Hanzo. The boy looked shocked, then mortified, then stern. "Because we cannot. We are both too little, and we are both men."

"We'll get married later when we grow up," Jesse answered cheerfully, swinging their arms a bit, "When I turn 18, I'll come find you and marry you, ok? And we'll have a big family and lotsa kids so everyone has someone to play with! And two boys can get married, they have it all over the place in America!"

Hanzo's expression darkened for a moment, and he looked away. Jesse thought that he might have said something to upset Hanzo, so he leaned over to peer at Hanzo's face. He was going to ask if Hanzo was okay, but then he saw that Hanzo was absolutely fine. He just had a really red face, which Jesse took to mean that he agreed but couldn't say it. So Jesse grinned, and he leaned in to give Hanzo a quick peck on the lips.

The act only lasted for a moment, during which time Hanzo absolutely _froze_ and stayed perfectly still. In fact, he was still frozen when Jessee pulled away grinning. "See? We kissed, so we're practically married now! We just gotta make it all official when we grow up."

For his part, Hanzo didn't protest immediately. No, he was a mix of emotions and didn't know what to do. But Jesse did, apparently, and he was starting to feel better already. Even if they had to separate for now, Jesse could have Hanzo later, once they both grew up. "So that's my promise to you. When I grow up I will marry you."

Hanzo was left blushing furiously, scrambling to try and think of some way out of this. It must have been quite a change of plans, for Hanzo to go from 'comforting a friend' to 'totally legit engaged'. Jesse just grinned widely, which he was sure didn't help much. And eventually, after some deliberation, Hanzo relented. "If you say so," he finally said, sounding defeated.

"It's a promise then!" And Jesse leaned in to steal one last quick kiss.

\---

A few days later, both McCrees were boarding the airplane at the Hanamura envelope. Jesse had his boots in his backpack, since he had decided to wear his sandals on the airplane. The rest of his things- his yukata, his toys, even the mask from the festival- were also packed in bags and ready to go. Everything that Jesse had taken from Japan was contained in those bags.

Well, _almost_ everything. The goldfish had to stay behind, unfortunately, so they joined Hanzo's in one of the little ponds that had been previously fish-free. There was one other thing missing too, but Jesse would have to go back one day to take that. 

As they climbed into their seats, Jesse took the window seat and peered out at the city. It was distant, but from there he could just barely make out the tops of the castle and the high walls. Hanzo was there, waiting for the day Jesse would come back. It was a big responsibility, marrying a future head of a clan like that, but he was up for it. As long as he and Hanzo stayed friends, they could do anything!

"You gonna miss this place," Jesse's dad asked him.

"A little," Jesse said, "But I'm gonna come back someday, so it'll be okay."

None the wiser to Jesse's plan, Bill McCree lifted a hand to pat Jesse on the head. "That's the spirit," he said, "So just hang on tight until you can come back, got it?"

"Okay," Jesse said, and he settled down into his seat. But while he sat there, ready to fly back to America, his mind was stuck back in Japan. It would be their secret for years to come, but Jesse would make good on that promise.


	6. Chapter 6

**Ten Years Later**

Jesse McCree, newly recruited to Blackwatch, was having a row with his boss again. It wasn't that he disliked Gabe, the man had done a lot to earn his respect in such a short time. He was tough, but he was fair too, and Jesse was grateful to be given the chance to work with him instead of being left to rot in prison for the rest of his life. But there was one detail that he most certainly didn't agree with.

"C'mon boss, just let me right _one_ letter," he said. They were walking across the airstrip of the base, away from the plane that had just dropped them off from a mission and off towards the meeting rooms for a debriefing. "It's been six months and I didn't tell him what was goin' on, he's probably worried sick!"

"Negative," Gabriel Reyes said, not even looking to Jesse as he walked, "The Shimadas are a dangerous bunch, and you still haven't proven yourself yet."

"I ain't gonna sell Blackwatch out or nothin'. Hell, you can read the letter before I send it. I just want him to know what happened to me." And he wanted to remind Hanzo of his promise. His eighteenth birthday had passed two weeks ago, and he was sure Hanzo would be expecting him to turn up and fulfill the promise made one summer afternoon. He didn't want Hanzo to get sick with worry, not after receiving weekly letters for the last decade.

"I believe you, but the top brass doesn't. Once you're cleared to be a full agent, you can do what you want. But until then, it's a no-go." Gabriel stopped to punch in a code, and a door slid open. He stepped in, and Jesse followed after him quickly. "Just be patient, kid. It's only a few more months. You'll make it."

Jesse grumbled to himself and shoved his hands in his pocket. Arguing with Gabe was pointless. Once the man had decided on something, he rarely changed his mind. Not unless circumstances changed.

But as they rounded the corner and went into one of the less-used hallways of the base, circumstances suddenly changed. Gabriel came to an abrupt stop, causing Jesse to nearly slam into the man. "What the hell," Jesse muttered, but when Gabriel didn't respond he knew something serious was up. Carefully Jesse put his hand on the gun in his holster, and he peered around Gabriel to see just what was going on.

About thirty feet down the hall, near a broken window, was a young man. He appeared to be barely twenty, if that, and his long black hair was tied back in a ponytail with a bright red ribbon. In his hands were a bow and arrow, and said arrow was currently pointed right at Gabriel, ready to shoot him where he stood.

Jesse's heart did a little leap of joy, though, because he recognized that man. The hand slid off of his gun and to the bracelet he wore around his other hand, which was made of blue threading. Their private exchange, their way of wearing each other's colors without being too overt.

"Hi honey," Jesse said cheerfully as he leaned over a bit more, allowing Hanzo to see him.

Hanzo's gaze flickered to Jesse for a moment, but they went right back to Gabriel. "I believe you have unlawfully imprisoned this man," he said, speaking politely yet firmly, "I have come here to see to his release."

"I bet you fucking have," Gabriel growled out. He moved to reach for his hidden shotguns, but Jesse placed a hand on his shoulder to stop him. No, there would be no fighting today. Jesse could sort this out.

"Well there's the problem," he said, stepping out from behind Gabriel fully, "Y'see, I ain't bein' imprisoned here. The boss is a jerk that won't let me email anyone, but I'm here of my own free will."

Jesse could see the way Hanzo's eyes softened, but his body still remained stiff. "You did not come," Hanzo said simply, "You did not contact me, you did not meet me as you promised, and I knew something was wrong."

Gabriel grumbled something about 'damn lovebirds,' but Jesse just looked back and shrugged. "I told ya to let me email him," he said.

Then Jesse looked back to Hanzo, and he held out a hand. "It's a long story and it'll take forever to get through. So how about you put down that bow and come with me? We can catch up on the lost time and all. Plus I still plan on makin' good on my promise, and I can't do that if Gabe here pumps you full o' lead."

Hanzo's demeanor wavered, and he let the bow drop a bit. With a smile, Jesse took a step forward. "Lemme tell you about this place. You've been havin' problems with your clan, right? I remember seein' that in your letters, about the fights with them and Genji. Well, they helped me with some family problems, and I bet they could help you too…"


End file.
